All issues > Volume 49(8); 2006

Review Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(8):830-832. Published online August 15, 2006.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP)

Hee Young HY Shin¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Hee Young HY Shin ,Email: hyshin@plaza.snu.ac.kr

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by increased peripheral platelet destruction due to antibody to platelet, which results in thrombocytopenia and cutaneous or mucosal bleeding. Bleeding generally occurs when platelet counts fall to less than 20,000/µL. Children affected with ITP are usually healthy prior to the onset of the disease and typically present suddenly after a viral infection or insidiously with progressive petechiae, bruising, or purpura. In most cases the disease is self-limited; approximately 80% of children recover by 6 months after diagnosis, with or without treatment. Children with thrombocytopenia persisting for more than 6 months are defined as having chronic ITP. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, laboratory findings, differential diagnosis and various treatment modalities are reviewed.

Keywords :Thrombocytopenia , Immune , Idiopathic , Acute , Chronic , Platelet , Antibody